Free Education: NUT Confers Award of Excellence on Dickson

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, January 19th, 2018

…To Hold NUT National Executive Meeting in Yenagoa

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Union of Teachers has taken a decision to confer an award of excellence on the Governor of Bayelsa State in appreciation of his efforts in the promotion of education at all levels in the state.

The President of the NUT, Mr. Michael Alogba, said that the leadership of the Union would schedule the next meeting of the National Executive òf the Union for Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital in recognition of the governor’s achievement in the education sector.i

A Government House Statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, stated that the NUT President made the comment while leading the leadership of thiie union in a courtesy visit to the Governor on Thursday.

He commended the governor for the rehabilitation of over 400 schools; the establishment of the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama and similar model boarding secondary schools in all the local government areas of the state which provide free quality education.

The NUT President observed that the Ijaw National Academy was an academic village which could be mistaken for a university.

He said, “Again when you came you augmented salaries of primary school teachers by 80 percent, without that intervention, sincerely speaking who knows the state of primary education will be here. It takes a lot of vision, determination and vigour for a calibre of your leadership to do that.

“We also want to appreciate you for the rehabilitation of over 400 schools across the state. I am aware that if not for the economic recession, I don’t think we will be here at all because the way you started, It shows you have hunger.

“I visited Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama, I saw the faces of the children there and beckon on the Chief Of Staff and Commissioner for Education, I said how much is the school fee and they said its free.

I also asked the ‘Whitman’( Principal of the institution) what the population was, he said over 1000. If you calculated that per person, sincerely you are paying millions. How you survive sincerely I don’t know.

“I want to say you are a political concept to be studied. Because we appreciate you, we want to bring the national executive council meeting of the NUT to Bayelsa and hope to confer on you an award of excellence for your contributions to the education sector.”

Alogba said that while the governor’s efforts might not be appreciated immediately , it would become clear in the future that the efforts were designed build a greater tomorrow.

“I want to say that sincerely what you are doing might not be appreciated but you are building tomorrow today.The future generation of leaders you are creating, it’s a worthwhile legacy and I know that the spirit of the founding fathers of the state shall be with you.” He added

In his remarks, the Governor said that he had committed over N70 billion ting the Development òf education in the state in the bid to wrest the state from underdevelopment and backwardness.

However, Dickson said that teachers in the state should have informed the government before proceeding on strike in the spirit of fairness.

He restated his decision to put the teachers’ salaries on first line charge with effect from January, 2018.